Williamson County: A Hub for Entrepreneurs & Small Business Success
Williamson County offers fertile ground for entrepreneurs looking to turn an idea or passion into a thriving business.
With tons of growth opportunities, access to capital and supportive communities that cultivate small businesses, many startups have found success here. Among them are two local entrepreneurs who started businesses from the ground up in recent years:
- Dr. Tiffanie Garrison-Jeter, DMD and owner of Definition Dental and Wellness Spa in Nolensville
- Annalee Neeley, artist, owner and founder of Black Swan Creatives, a custom artwork business specializing in watercolor commissioned work, illustrations and live event art
“Williamson County – just by nature of its personality and how there are all of the transplants and all of the businesses coming in – has a very vibrant energy that most entrepreneurs I know can really benefit from,” Neeley says.
Redefining the Dental Experience
Garrison-Jeter took her passions for aesthetics and self-care and merged them into a unique and cutting-edge dental practice you would expect to find in a rapidly expanding county.
After serving in the Army and working in a corporate dental office, she decided to go out on her own. Originally, she wanted to purchase an existing dental practice, but when she couldn’t find one that fit her needs, she decided to build her own practice from the ground up.
She launched Definition Dental and Wellness Spa in 2019. In addition to traditional dental services, such as cleanings, extractions and fillings, she offers a variety of beauty and wellness services, such as Botox, lip fillers and other cosmetic treatments.
She says merging aesthetics with dentistry came naturally to her.
“It feels far off to some people, but as dentists, the head and neck are our wheelhouse,” she says. “You have all the muscles, arteries and nerves in the face – that’s what we know.”
She says the community has been very supportive of small businesses.
“My business is a female-owned business, a veteran-owned business and a minority-owned business, and people in Williamson County have been very supportive of all of those things,” Garrison-Jeter says.
She recently added an esthetician to her office to provide services such as facials and chemical peels, and she plans to continue growing and incorporating new services and technologies.
She recommends that anyone looking to start a business in Williamson County get involved in local activities.
“It’s a close-knit vibe, so you have to get involved in the local community get involved in the local community to get your business known,” she says.
Art, Community, Entrepreneurship
Neeley, now a college student, launched her business in 2017 while in middle school. She began by creating bespoke stationery and commissioned watercolor work, which she sold online and to members of her church. “I would be in my room, and I would get little ideas, and I would draw things and paint things,” Neeley says about the early days of her business when she was a seventh grader in Williamson County Schools.
“I drew a reindeer with a cute scarf. Mom posted it on social media, and there was a lot of demand for this reindeer print.”
The business continued to grow, and while in high school, she participated in Williamson County Schools’ Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC), which allowed her to focus on Black Swan Creatives and learn more about running a business, earning school credit along the way.
“The EIC gave me so many opportunities to be challenged as a person,” Neeley says. “I became a better thinker, problem solver, public speaker and adaptable business owner. I am so thankful for my time in this program and for the ways that I have reaped its benefits in my own life and business.”
Black Swan Creatives has evolved to include live event painting for special occasions such as weddings and also for corporate events.
Neeley sets up at live events, and clients may commission her to paint a scene from a wedding, such as the first kiss or portraits of individual guests. Word of mouth, referrals, and people finding her on social media have grown her business organically.
She says Williamson County has plenty of resources that small-business owners can utilize, such as a female coworking space and many coffee shops where she often meets new people.
“I found it relatively easy to grow a business in Williamson County,” Neeley says.
“My hope is to eventually scale what I have and create a team of other artists who are doing similar work. I want to help make art accessible and affordable for everyone.”
Get to Know Williamson County
Want to learn more about living and working in Williamson County, TN? Check out the latest edition of Livability Williamson County, Tennessee.